Blood donation on the way to a new model
Aman Chaturvedi, Unsplash
The Luxembourg blood donation service, currently run by the Red Cross, may be transformed into a public institution. The discussions, which started in November 2023, are at an early stage but have already identified key challenges and areas for work.
The idea of transformation is based on the need to ensure the financial sustainability of the Blood Transfusion Centre (CTS). The Luxembourg Red Cross is actively promoting this initiative, having secured the support of key organisations such as the National Health Insurance Fund, the Ministry of Health and Social Security and the Financial Inspectorate. However, it is not yet known whether the Red Cross will retain management or whether the new structure will come under full government control.
To date, the project remains at the conceptual stage. This means that neither CTS staff nor union representatives have been involved in the discussions. Future changes, whether a reorganisation of the structure or a change in management, could potentially affect both paid staff and volunteers, but specific details are not available.
Interestingly, despite the magnitude of the possible changes, a cost-benefit analysis has not yet been conducted. Such an analysis is expected to be an important step in the upcoming formal negotiations scheduled for January 2025.
Although the final decision has not been made yet, the focus is now on developing the implementation model and studying its impact on different aspects of the process. Time will tell how exactly the interaction between government agencies and the Red Cross will be organised.
